Fresh Start & New Love
by Raven Night Wing
Summary: Hermione and her trials with her parents and how she copes with it.


_Hello all its me again! Ok new story to keep you entertained. This one is about Hermione and her trials with her parents and how she copes with it. Anywho, I started it not thinking about much so it most likely sucks but that's ok. Tell me what you think!_

_Raven Night Wing :))_

**Fresh Start & New Love:**  
  
Another Year, Another Birthday  
  
It was the fifth time she had to clean up after her mother tonight. The woman thought she was Wonder Woman when she had a few. Her father was our, again. She wondered who the fling of the month was this time. It had been like this since she was eleven. Her mother never quite got over the fact that she was a witch and her father blamed her mother. It never was the same.  
  
Sure, out in public they were the happy muggle family; but once they got behind closed doors hell broke loose. She spent her first year away from home at the age of eleven. The letter came telling of how she was to be learning her further education from the staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. That had been one of the major turning points of her life. Maybe it was the starting point of who she was meant to be.  
  
Hermione walked up to the entrance to platform 9 3/4 for the last time in her education. This was her last year at her beloved school. And the last year she would have to deal with her damn parents. They couldn't wait to be rid of her. Maybe her mother would drink herself stupid tonight when she got home and her father would end up with, yet again, another woman (or young girl. He didn't really care). All she cared about was getting as far away from them as she could.  
  
Hermione would be celebrating her eighteenth late September, and she couldn't wait. Once a witch or wizard turned eighteen they were seen as adults and no longer needed to live at home with their parents. Hermione had been looking forward to this event in her life for well, all her life. She hated having to spend her first year as an "adult" still at school but because of where her birthday fell she had started school a year later then everyone else. Granted no one at school knew this. They all thought she was turning seventeen. Only Professor Dumbldore and McGonagall knew of her real age.  
  
Hermione climbed on to the Hogwarts Express. She walked down the crowded hall way. She was looking for an empty cabin. It didn't bother her that she would be sharing it with her two best friends soon, but she wanted some time to think without distractions. Her search was bountiful. She found an empty cabin at the end of the train. Hermione took a seat next to the window and sighed. She could see her parents fighting off in a corner of the platform. She dug though her bag and pulled out a book and started to read.  
  
She had become lost in her book and not noticed the train had become much louder with the sounds of students pilling into cabins and the whistle of the train began to blow informing the late passengers it was time to get a move on. She had failed to noticed that her cabin door had been opened and two boys entered and took a seat across from her. They went on with their conversation as if she wasn't there. As was the tradition. The boys knew not to bother Hermione when she was reading or be at the wrong end of her wand.  
  
It was until the train had left Platform 9 3/4 and had traveled two hours from London did Hermione put her book down. She looked out the window and sighed. Her companions looked to her then went back to their game of Wizard's Chess. Hermione looked around the compartment. Her friends had changed over the summer. The war last year had caused them all to change.  
  
Her red-headed friend had grown another four inches, making him at least 6'5. Much taller then any of his brothers. His build had gone from gangly to muscular. He had allowed his hair to grow and now it hung past his shoulder pulled back into a ponytail. The war had left him with his own battle scar. He now had a scare of his own down the left side of his face; that went from the corner of his eye to his jaw.  
  
The boy that sat next to the red-head, was "The Boy Who Live", "Boy Wonder" the famous Harry Potter. The boy not seven years ago found out about his destiny. He had finally grown into his own body, standing 6'2. He too allowed his untameable hair to grow out, it hung below his shoulders. He had ditched his glasses before the final battle, making his bright green eyes almost glow. His face looked darker since the face off with the Dark Lord, but in the end he triumphed.  
  
Hermione smiled as she looked upon her two friends. They had been though a lot over the years. This was the last time they would be riding to Hogwarts. This would be a year of lasts for all of them. She shifted in her seat. Having been sitting in the same spot for over two hours had caused her legs to go numb. Her friends noticed her movements and stopped their game. It was now time for catching up.  
  
"Good book?" asked the red-head.  
  
"Always." smiled Hermione. "How are your parents, Ron?"  
  
"Their good." he shrugged. "Mum's got to thinking that I'm never coming home at the end of school, like Fred and George. Made me promise to come home and visit. Dad's loving his new job as Minister of Magic. It's gotten us a better place to live and all."  
  
"That's good to hear. And how about you, Harry?"  
  
"Same old, same old." sighed Harry. "Grimauld Place is looking a lot better since I've been fixing it up. Dumbledore has sent Dobby to work their. Winky too. She's doing a lot better now that she went to work there." Hermione's face grimaced. She never liked the use of house elfs, but if they were happy to work for wizards then all the power to them. "What about you? Any plans for your birthday? The twenty-seventh right?"  
  
"That's right." she nodded. "I can't wait. Dumbledore is letting me leave the grounds for it. So I don't have to be stuck in the castle for my birthday. Of course he told me that I have to find a teacher to go with me but I'm sure I can get Hagrid or maybe even McGonagall."  
  
"Anything you want? For your birthday I mean." asked Ron. "I'm sure Fred and George will send you some stuff from their shop. And you know mum is going to be sending you something."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Nah, I just want to have a nice quiet birthday and be done with it."  
  
"So, the party's out?" asked a girl from the compartment door. It was Ron's baby sister, Ginny.  
  
"What party?"  
  
"The one I was going to plan. It's not every day you have a birthday. Let alone let anyone know about it before hand. How come you didn't remind me it was coming up. I had to hear about it from Ron and Harry." Ginny walked over and sat next to Hermione.  
  
Hermione raised and eyebrow. "One would think, as one of my close friends, you would remember without me having to remind you." This caused Ginny to blush. Being a red-head herself it was all too noticeable. "I know when your's is."  
  
"You know everything." she smiled. "How come you didn't write over the summer? I know I sent like a dozen letters. Pig never came back with a reply."  
  
"You used Pig?" asked Ron. "Without asking me?" Ginny just waved her had at her brother and laughed. Pig, Ron's owl, had to be more annoying now then when he was when Ron first got him. If he didn't have something to do he was flying around your head until you sent him somewhere to go.  
  
"The bird wouldn't leave me alone."  
  
"I never got a chance to write back. I had...ah...things to do." said Hermione. She looked out the window. Soon, she would be away from her parent's grasp.  
  
Harry watched his friends as his others began to fight. Hermione didn't look like she had when she had come to Hogwarts. From the scrawny ten year old (remember he doesn't know how old she really is) to this beautiful woman. Her frizzy, wild chestnut hair had become soft and smooth. The curls she once had were gone and now it lay strait. Her chocolate eyes were soft and held a mystery about them. She was easily the shortest out of the Trio, standing at only 5'7. Her body had blossomed over the summer. Harry couldn't help but noticed how hot Hermione had become.  
  
"Something wrong?" he asked her.  
  
Hermione shook her head, but continued to look out the window. She didn't really feel up to talking. She just wanted to stare out the window and watch the trees go by. Harry picked up the vibe and left her alone. He turned and listened to his two other friends go at it, once again.  
  
"Well if you would send him out more he wouldn't be coming around me and bugging me!" cried Ginny.  
  
"Bug you?!" yelled Ron. "Please, he only goes to you because you give him those treat things. If you would stop feeding him that crap he wouldn't keep 'bugging' you."  
  
Ginny turned from her brother and headed for the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. "Well if you would pay more attention to that poor little bird I'm sure he would leave me alone!" with that said she walked out of the compartment.  
  
Harry had to hid a chuckle. Pig had been the main issue between Ron and Ginny all summer. "You know she's right, don't you."  
  
Ron sighed. "Yeah I know. But I'm not going to tell her that."


End file.
